Although frequently aligned with the punk movement, the Rezillos' (later known as the Revillos) irreverent glam-rock image and affection for campy girl-group iconography set them distinctly apart from their peers. Formed in 1976 in Edinburgh, Scotland, the group was initially a fluid and highly informal collective centered around lead vocalists Eugene Reynolds (born Alan Forbes) and Fay Fife (Sheila Hynde) and fleshed out by lead guitarist Luke Warm (Jo Callis), second guitarist Hi-Fi Harris (Mark Harris), Dr. D.K. Smythe on bass, drummer Angel Patterson (Alan Patterson), and backing vocalist Gale Warning.
The Rezillos' early repertoire contained material from the likes of Screaming Lord Sutch, the Dave Clark Five and the Sweet. The success of their 1977 debut single "I Can't Stand My Baby" was unexpected, especially by the band members themselves, who never considered the group much more than a lark; as a result of the more serious pressures now exerted on the Rezillos, Harris, Smythe and Warning all departed, while bassist/saxophonist William Mysterious (born William Donaldson) signed on as a permanent member.
After signing to major label Sire, the quintet reached the U.K. Top 20 with a single titled, ironically enough, "Top of the Pops." After releasing their 1978 debut LP Can't Stand the Rezillos, Mysterious was replaced by Simon Templar, but internal problems continued to plague the group, and following a farewell tour, they disbanded in December 1978. Patterson, Callis and Templar continued on as Shake, while Reynolds and Fife, promised they could be released from their contract if they dropped the Rezillos name, formed the Revillos. [Callis eventually left Shake and hooked up with the terminally humorless Human League. -Tim]
Rejoined by Harris as well as onetime Pork Dukes drummer Rocky Rhythm, bassist Felix and backing vocalists Babs and Cherie (a.k.a. the Revettes), the first incarnation of the Revillos recorded a pair of singles, "Where's the Boy for Me?" and "Motorbike Beat." In mid-1979, Harris left to become an architect, and was replaced by 17-year-old guitarist Kid Krupa in time to record 1980's Rev Up. Following the usual line-up fluctuations (Felix was replaced by Vince Spik, and Babs was replaced by singer Drax), the Revillos signed to the Superville label and issued the single "She's Fallen in Love With a Monster Man" and the 1983 LP Attack! After a pair of self-financed U.S. tours, the band split in 1985; Reynolds formed Rockatomic and Planet Pop, while Fay joined Destroy All Men. The Revillos reformed in 1994 to play a series of concerts in Japan, ultimately recording the Live and On Fire in Japan album and the Yeah Yeah EP. In 1996, they issued a rarities compilation, From the Freezer, and played some live dates in Britain. ~ Jason Ankeny, All-Music Guide
29 March 2000
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED - 25 YEARS AGO!On Decmeber 23, 1978, the Rezillos gave their final performance at the Apollo Theater in Glasgow. The show was recorded and was later realeased as the album "Mission Accomplished: But the Beat Goes On."
I first heard that album about a year later and it was my introduction to the
band. The quality of the recording was not all that great (reflecting the
minimalist "punk" aesthetic of the time), but even a bad mix couldn't mute
the pure energy exuded by the band on their farewell gig. A few months later
I picked up their first and only other LP, "I Can't Stand the Rezillos," which
is easily one of the Top Ten albums of all time. And together, both albums
are among the finest examples of late '70s new wave music ever made. |